character survey: eliot dogwood

[cornaceae]

APPEARANCE AND BODY PERCEPTION ① Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy? Eliot is almost unnaturally thin— "emaciated" isn't a bad word to describe her at all. Maybe that's to be expected when she's really a demon, who doesn't really have the most solid concept of what a human body should look like. And really, it's not like she needs to blend in, most of the time. ② How old is she? Thousands of years. Maybe more. She doesn't keep very good track. Maybe it's more like one thousand. Maybe 500. But she says she's "thousands of years old", and she has a pretty long memory, so who's going to contradict her? ③ Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well, or does she slouch? She slouches more often than not— it depends on how much attention she wants to attract to herself, and most of the time the answer to that is "not very much". Or else it makes people annoyed when she slouches and she likes doing that. Also, demons don't have back problems. ④ How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? Absolutely none! Although she isn't particularly fit by demon standards, by human standards she's above average. Maybe not Olympic level but she does have some degree of speed— especially, much more than physical strength. ⑤ How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? Fluid is definitely a word that describes how she moves, most of the time. ⑥ How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror? She's hot and she knows it— or at least, if you're attracted to dangerous demons. She doesn't really hide behind a docile exterior, but she's still arresting when she feels like being so. ⑦ Describe her complexion: dark, light, clear, scarred? Perfectly clear, and very very pale. Almost too clear, honestly. She never makes up her face, though, even once she learns what it is. ⑧ Describe her hair: color, texture, style. ANSWER ⑨ What color are her eyes? Yellow, same as her PB! There's nothing else particularly remarkable about them, though she'll wear contacts in the current era once she realizes what they are. It makes it easier to blend in, and actually exist as opposed to have to only exist at the edges of whoever she bonded herself to. ⑩ Does the character have any other noteworthy features? ANSWER ⑪ What are her chief tension centers? ANSWER ⑫ What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit? ANSWER. ⑬ Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them? ANSWER ⑭ Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences? ANSWER ⑮ You knew it was coming: boxers, briefs, or commando? ANSWER SPEECH ① What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? ANSWER ② How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate? ANSWER ③ Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? ANSWER ④ What language(s) does she speak and with how much fluency? ANSWER ⑤ Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations? ANSWER ⑥ Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words? ANSWER ⑦ Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? ANSWER EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL ① How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart? ANSWER ② Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate? ANSWER ③ Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? ANSWER ④ What kind of education has the character had? ANSWER ⑤ What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about? ANSWER ⑥ Is she an introvert or an extrovert? It's a little complicated, she isn't exactly either. ⑦ Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered, or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholic? Laid-back or driven? ANSWER ⑧ How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? ANSWER ⑨ Is she more likely to act or to react? ANSWER ⑩ Which is her default: fight or flight? ANSWER ⑪ Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? ANSWER ⑫ Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If so, how does she deal with them? ANSWER ⑬ What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person? ANSWER ⑭ What does she fear? ANSWER ⑮ What are her hopes or aspirations? ANSWER ⑯ What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her? ANSWER RELATIONSHIPS ① Describe this character's relationship with her parents. Eliot doesn't have parents! Demons in this world don't really reproduce in a normal way— they're generated from the negative emotions of human beings, so while there are more powerful demons that might have aided in the creation of younger ones, they don't have that sort of relationship with anyone. ② Does the character have any siblings? What is their relationship like? ANSWER ③ Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can't stand? ANSWER ④ Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them? ANSWER ⑤ Who is the character's best friend? How did they meet? ANSWER ⑥ Does she have other close friends? ANSWER ⑦ Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people? ANSWER ⑧ Which does she consider more important: family or friends? ANSWER ⑨ Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has she been married more than once? ANSWER ⑩ Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse? ANSWER ⑪ Who was her first crush? Who is her latest? ANSWER ⑫ What does she look for in a romantic partner? ANSWER ⑬ Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If so, how does she relate to them? If not, does she want any? ANSWER ⑭ Does she have any rivals or enemies? ANSWER ⑮ What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey Scale? ANSWER ⑯How does she feel about sex? How important is it to her? ANSWER ⑰ What are her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits? ANSWER BELIEFS ① Do you know your character's astrological sign? How well does she fit type? ANSWER ② Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life? ANSWER ③ Does this character have a personal code of ethics or morals? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it? ANSWER ④ How does she regard beliefs that differ from her? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent? ANSWER ⑤ What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational, or does she have a good reason for them? ANSWER DAILY LIFE ① What is the character's financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt? ANSWER ② What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her? ANSWER ③ Where does she live? House, apartment, trailer? Is her home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does she share it with others? ANSWER ④ Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on? ANSWER ⑤ What does she do for a living? Is she good at it? Does she enjoy it, or would she rather be doing something else? ANSWER ⑥ What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time? ANSWER ⑦ What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods? ANSWER ASSOCIATIONS ① Color ➠ -- ② Smell ➠-- ③ Time of day ➠-- ④ Season ➠-- ⑤ Book ➠-- ⑥ Music ➠ -- ⑦ Place ➠ -- ⑧ Substance ➠ -- ⑨ Plant ➠ -- ⑩ Animal ➠ -- All questions, provided with HTML, can he found here.